Conveyer



April l2, 1932. J, WACHTER 1,853,525

coNvEYER Filed July 7, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet l u 3515 his abro/vn April12, 1932. J. wAcHTER 1,853,525

CONVEYER Filed July 7, 193C 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 wventoz Patented Apr. 12,1932 UNITED sTATEsPArsNr orf-'lcs JOSEPH WACHTm, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY,ABBIGNGB T MUNNING COMPANY, 0F VMATAWAN, NEW' JEBSEY, .L CORPORATIONmassiv Hanson-van' wnrxu- CONVEYEB Application led July 7, 1930.` SerialNo. 485,855.

This invention relates to conveyers in which a driver, usually a Hexiblebelt or chain, propels articles along a rail or guideway.

The objects of the invention are to improve the construction of suchconveyers by substituting simple standardized parts for the speciallydesigned and relatively complicated conveyer and guideway units of theprior art, and to provide for quick and easy removal or insertion ofstandardized conveyer units in accordance with variations of the workingrequirements or the need for replacement of worn parts. .Further objectsof the invention and features of construction will be made apparent inthe course of the following description.

By way of illustrative embodiment there is shown in the drawings andhereinafter described a continuously operating electroplating apparatus;but the invention is capable of many other uses.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is 'a plan view, partly broken away, of an electroplating tankequipped with my improved conveyer;

Figures 2 and 3 are enlarged detail views in elevation of a portion of aconveyer chain and adjacent parts; A Figure 4 is a fragmentarytransverse section on the line 4 4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary View in plan, based upon Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a horizontal section on line 6-6 of Figure 4;

Figure 7 is an enlarged perspective view of a bridge member;

Figure 8.is a transverse sectional view on line 8-8 of Figure'l, thecentral portion only being shown; and

Figure 9 is a fragmentary view vased upon Figure 8, but showing theparts in a different relation.

Referring tothe drawings in detail, 1 designates a tank containing anelectrolytic bath 2. Insulated brackets 3, secured to the side walls ofthe tank, support an anode bar 4, from which hooked anodes 5 depend intothe bath. Frames 6, mounted on the end walls of the tank, supportparallel angle gird- `to sprocket along each ers 7 upon which theremaining parts of the aplpIaratus are mounted.

angers 8 and bus bars 9 are secured by bolts 10 Yto girders 7. Hangers 8are of chan'- nel form and have perforated end walls 11,

through which machine screws-12 are tapped into the endless rail 13which also serves `as a cathode bar (Figures 1 and .7 Work supportinghooks 14 are hung upon the rail or cathode bar 13 at intervals inposition to be propelled along the -bar by the conveyer,

which is the subject of the present inventlon.

In the center of the tank an additional anode bar 15 is carried byhangers 16, which are secured to the irders 7 by means'of bolts 17(Figure 8). bus bar 18 has a lowerl hooked end 19, which is clampedaround bar 15 by means of bolt 20.

At opposite ends of the tank, driving sprocket 21 and idler sprocket 22are suspended from the girders 7. The mounting of the- Asprockets isshown in detail with reference to the driving sprocket in Figure 4. The

sprocket is clamped upon squared portion 28 of stub shaft 24 by means ofnut 25.- The stub shaft is journalled in abed plate 26, which rests upongirders 7, and also carries a suitable driving mechanism which isindicated diagrammatically.

An endless driver is provided,`\which, in the illustrative embodimentshown, takes theform of a chain 27, preferably composed of separablelinks 28 to facilitate assembling and adjustments of the length of thechain. The conveyer belt is also preferably perfo rated at regularintervals, and in the embodi- -ment shown, the desired perforations aresupplied by employing links of a rectangular ring form. Chain 27 is inmesh with sprockets 21 and 22, and is supported by bridge members 29which pass through the links of the chain and rest at one end upon theouter rail or cathode bar 132 'and at the other end upon inner rails 30,which are secured to the hangers 8 (Figure 8), and extend from sprocketstraight course of the conveyer. The supporting path formed by the railsv3() is completed by shoulders 31 on the upper faces of the sprockets.The shoulders lie in the plane of the rails 30 and in 4 members, attheir inner ends, are transferred from the rails to the shoulders whenrounding the sprockets, while the sprocket teeth en age links 28 beneaththe bridge members i re 4). It will be observed that the bridgg;members, as they slide along the rails, will ca with themthe worksupporting hooks 14. The outer rail or cathode bar 1S kept clean andperfect electrical contactbetween the bar and work supporting hooks isthus maintained. The number of bridge members emplo ed ma be varied atwill to correspond to e num r of work supportin hooks employed at a 'ventime.v

e outer ends 32 of t e bridge members are curved to conform to bar 13,and the inner ends are bifurcated to provide a pair of sup-k portinglugs 33 and a pair of vertical abutting faces 34. Thel 33 and abuttinfaces 34 en ge rails 30 or s oulders 31, as t e case may at two points,one of which is in advance of the longitudinal axis of the bridgemembers, and the other of which is rearward thereof. With respect to thevertical abutting faces 34, this arrangement resists the turning tendencof the bridge members under the forwar pull of the chain and thebackward drag of the work supporting hooks and the separation of thefaces 34 gives two plpints of contact with the shoulders 31 so at thealignment of the bridge members is maintained while they are roundingthe sprockets. Se aration of the sup orting lugs 33 assists the ridgemembers w en passingfrom the rails 30 onto the shoulders 3l, since therear lug will not leave the rail until the forward lug is securelyseated upon the shoulder. L-sha guard plates 36 are shown and they maycontinued over the straight courses of the chain, but are not essentialto Y the invention. For a greater part of their length the bridgemembers are of a crosssection which permits them to be readily passedthrough the links 28, thus facilitating insertion or withdrawal of thebridge members as required.` This operation of inserting or withdrawingbridge members is conveniently rformed upon raising the chain in themiddle of one of its straight courses, as shown in Figures 3 and 9. Thebridge inembers are provided on their upper faces with slots 35 whichsnu ly engage the links 28 to d guide the chain an furnish additionalresistice to pivotal movements of the bridge memrs. The operation of theapparatus has been suiciently indicated in the foregoing descriptionand, in general, the operation doesnot differ from that of knownelectroplating apparatus. It will be seen, however, that in contrastwith known conveyer systems of this type, the present invention employsa few simple and separable parts whichare readily susoeptible ofstandardization. The outer rail 13, inner rails 30, and the conveyerchain, are of the simgilest possible construction, but

rform all o the required functions by virtue of the bridge members whichsupport the chain and at t e same time engage and 'rol the worksupporting hooks. -The c ain `is subjected to the least possible wearingfriction, and the elaborate especially designed devices of the prior artfor supporting the chain and engaging the articles to be conveyed areeliminated. The construction is open and free from pockets which wouldbecome clogged with dirt. I claim a pair of parallel rails, a drivinchain parallel to and between the rails an composed of perforate links,and travelin bridge members supplorted upon the rails an a w ole throughthe links.

2. A conveyer comprising in combination a pair of paral el rails, adriver parallel to and between the rails and having spaced perforations,and traveling bridge members supported upon the rails and passing throuh the perforations, said bridge members longitudinally aligned guidewayson their upper faces in which the driver lies.

3. A coniiyer comprising in combination a pair of par el rails, adriving chain parallel to and between the rails and composed of prforatelinks, and traveling bridge memrs supported upon the rails and passingthrough the links, said bridge members having rooves on their upperfaces engaging the links, the grooves being elongated in the directionof travel.

4. A conveyer comprising in combination a air of parallel rails, adriver parallel to and tween the rails, traveling bridge memberssupported upon the rails and engaging thev driver, and articles to beconveyed movably supported upon one or both of said rails in the path ofsaid bridge members.

5. A conveyer comprisin in combination a pair of parallel rails, a riverparallel to and between the rails, and a traveling bridge membersupported upon the rails and engaging the driver, said bridge membervertically abutting at least one of the rails both forwardly andrearwardly of the point of engagement of the bridge member with theriver.

6. A conveyer comprising in combination a pair of parallel rails, adriver parallel to and between the rails, and a traveling bridge membersupported upon the rails and engaging the driver, said bridge memberhaving at each end a portion lying upon the adjacent rail for support,and a portion vertically abutting the rail to resist turning.

7 A conveyer comprising in combination a pair of parallel rails, adriver arallel to and between the rails, and a travelin bridge membersupported upon the rails an engageach .passing as aving ioo ing thedriver, said bridge member having at each end a portion lying upon theadjacent rail for support, and a portion vertically abutting the rail toresist turning, the vertically abutting portion at one end beingelongated in the direction of travel.

8. A conveyer comprising in combination an endless driver mounted uponspaced wheels, an endless outer ra-il parallel to said driver, innerrails parallel to said driver and extending substantially throughout thespaces between said wheels, said wheels having flanges in the plane ofand tangential to the inner rails, and traveling bridge memberssupported at their outer ends upon the outer rail and at their innerends upon the inner rails or flanges, respectively.

9. A conveyer comprising in combination an endless driver mounted uponspaced wheels, an endless outer rail parallel to said driver, innerrails parallel to said driver and extending substantially throughout thespaces between said wheels, said wheels having flanges in the plane ofand tangential to the inner rails, and traveling bridge memberssupported at their outer ends upon the outer rail and at their innerends upon the inner rails or flanges, respectively, the inner end ofeach bridge member having a portion 3o which lies upon the path formedby the inner rails and Wheel ianges and a portion which vertically abutsthe inner rails and wheel ianges.

10. A conveyer comprising in combination an endless driver mounted uponspaced wheels, an endless outer rail parallel to said driver, innerrails parallel to said driver and extending substantially throughout thespaces between said wheels, said wheels having ianges in the plane ofand tangential to the inner rails, and traveling bridge members suported at their outer ends upon the outer ra1l and at their inner endsupon the inner rails or flanges, respectively, the inner end of eachbridge member being bifurcated, each bifurcation having a portion whichlies u on the path formed by the inner rails and wlheel flanges and aportion which vertically abuts the inner rails and wheel flan es.

1 JOSEPH WAC TER.

